Autograph Penis Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2015

BOISE, Idaho, Jan. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- H. O. Tanager's novel, Autograph Penis (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, October 23, 2014, $12.00), has been named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2015. Kirkus Reviews is the nation's leading book review publication, covering more than 7,000 books from traditional houses and more than 3,000 self-published books each year.

Autograph Penis isn't just a humorous story about the 2011 National Poetry Slam — it serves as a detailed account of the rich inner life of one poet in the midst of an exhilarating artistic competition. Still, many readers have been put off by the book's title, which is meant to be a joke about poet egos. The title has caused a lot of confusion and made it impossible to advertise the book on Google, Bing, or Facebook.

Tanager is apparently a huge fan of performance poetry, claiming Finals stage performances at the National Poetry Slam, Individual World Poetry Slam, and Women of the World Poetry Slam "as a competitor, backup dancer, emcee, and opening act." She also has made top four at the NUPIC underground indies and been a Haiku Deathmatch Champion. The next opportunity to take part in a national-level competition like that described in Autograph Penis will be at the Women of the World Poetry Slam in Brooklyn, NY from March 9-12, though Tanager is not currently listed as one of the 96 competitors. (The full schedule is available at wowps2016.com .)

Though some local poets claim that "The world is not ready for a book named Penis," when asked about the book's surprise success, Gabe Gabriel of Boise'sThe Kreation Korner blog said, "The resounding success of Autograph Penis has exceeded even my own exacting expectations. H. O. Tanager is truly a pillar of the artistic community not just in Boise, but in mid-sized metropolitan areas everywhere."

About H. O. Tanager Press: H. O. Tanager Press is a Boise, Idaho-based press that publishes nonfiction, poetry, and literary fiction by authors, adventurers, and provocateurs who amble around and break things. Its books can be found on Amazon and at Rediscovered Books in Boise. For more information, visit their website at hotanager.com.